The sexual offences prosecutor: a new specialisation?

Abstract

The South African Law Commission recognised the fact that victims of sexual violence  require treatment different to that of other crime victims, and that sexual offences are more difficult to prosecute than other crimes due to the nature of the crime itself. Sexual offences courts were created and require prosecutors who have become specialised in this field. This article analyses the role of the sexual offences prosecutor in relation to child witnesses and further discusses and comments on a study conducted with sexual offences prosecutors in order to investigate the nature of this new specialisation.